BIO-BASED PLASTICS | INNOVATION


vens, and 3D printing. The company said that its approach of locally stocked PLA would make it easier for regional converters, brand owners, and packaging manufacturers to begin developing products with the plant-based materials. “The demand we are seeing [for PLA] across the Middle East is growing, and it’s driven by shift toward circular material solutions and government initiatives to reduce plastic waste,” said François de Bie, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates Biotech. “Most converters in the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] had to import biopolymers with long lead times and high minimum order quantities. By launching the Embio portfolio with local stocking and technical support right here in the UAE, we have reduced the barriers for customers to transition to circular biopolymers.” The primary drivers for regional brands to use


PLA are its significantly lower carbon footprint compared to traditional plastics, as well as govern- ment mandates, such as the UAE’s single-use product ban and a national commitment to Net Zero 2050, said de Bie. Embio PLA can be recycled or industrially composted, and it is exempt from the UAE’s single-use product ban, which bans single-use plastic items including beverage cups, lids, cutlery, and food containers, a regulation that was intro- duced at the beginning of this year. “PLA is recognized and exempted in most


applications because it is certified to be compliant with international standards for industrial compost- ing and biodegradability,” said de Bie. “The regula- tion is designed to encourage the market to adopt materials that will seamlessly integrate into the coun- try’s developing organic waste and recycling infrastructure, rather than ending up in a landfill.”


Food waste In the context of recycling and composting options, de Bie said: “For the food service and delivery sectors, where our Embio portfolio sees the most demand, food contamination makes mechanical recycling incredibly difficult and energy-intensive for any plastic. Food waste is a silent giant in the climate crisis, contributing 8-10% of global green- house gas emissions. In the UAE alone, we gener- ate an estimated 2.25m tons of food waste annu- ally, most of which ends up in landfills.” He said: “This is where industrial composting becomes the most strategic and impactful end-of- life solution for the region. PLA offers a highly practical end-of-life solution wherein both the food waste and the packaging can be sent to industrial composting facilities together, diverting organic waste from landfills and creating valuable compost


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


for the region’s agricultural initiatives.” Emirates Biotech’s regional production plant will also facilitate regional chemical recycling of PLA. “Converting PLA back into lactic acid is very cost efficient. ‘Bottle-to-bottle’ recycling for water bottles will be become a reality, and all without loss of properties or without any without any food contact safety issues,” de Bie predicted. “PLA is unique because it doesn’t force us into a single end-of-life compromise. Depending on the application and the local infrastructure, it can be mechanically recycled, chemically renewed, or industrially composted. That versatility is exactly why PLA will be the dominant sustainable polymer of the next decade.”


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevencdavies1 (Davies Advisors) � www.natureworksllc.com � https://prosperbioplastics.eu � www.totalenergies-corbion.com � www.bottle.org � https://estercycle.co � www.futerro.com � https://ntcp.nl � www.suez.com � www.gruppoa2a.it � www.novamont.com � www.fccma.com � https://gcrplasticsolutions.com � www.cbe.europa.eu/projects/rebiocycle � www.ucd.ie � www.sulapac.com � www.cbe.europa.eu/projects/moebios � www.greco-euproject.eu � https://biosuppack.eu � www.aimplas.net � www.sabiomaterials.com � www.iris-eng.com � https://emiratesbiotech.com


April 2026 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 15


Above: Emirates Biotech’s commercial and technology team at the launch of its Embio PLA in the United Arab Emirates


IMAGE: EMIRATES BIOTECH


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